Carline construction



' March 17, 1936. C, D BONSALL 2,034,376

CARLINE CONSTRUCTION l Filed May 6, 1935 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARLINE CONSTRUCTION Charles David Bonsall,

Pittsburgh, Pa., assgnor Application May 6, 1935, Serial No. 20,090

11 Claims.

This invention relates to carlines for car roofs and especially to carlines that are intended for cooperation with plain roof sheets and are themselves partially exposed to the weather in the completed roof. The principal objects -of the invention are to devise a strong, simple and relatively inexpensive carline to which the margins of plain roof sheets may be readily welded individually and which will provide a rustless surface for the exposed portion of the carline between the welds. The invention consists principally in making the carline of two members secured together, the upper or outer member being of rustless material and enough narrower than the lower or inner member for the side margins of the lower member to form ledges for the support and attachment of the roof sheets. It also consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing,l wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a car roof embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the roof on the line 2--2'of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the roofY on the line 3--3v of Fig. l, showing the carlines in cross-section,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view ofl a carline prior to the welding of the edges of its upper member to the lower member; and

Figs; 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views illustrating modifications of the carline construction with roof sheets welded thereto.

The construction illustrated in Figs. l to 4 comprise Z-shaped carlines whose ends are supported upon the side plates l of a car. The carline illustrated in these figures is preferably made of an upper or outer member 2 and a lower or inner member 3. The lower member has its body portion disposed vertically and has a horizontal flange 4'extending in one direction from the top and a horizontal flange 5 extending in the opposite direction at the bottom. This lower member is preferably heavier than the upper member and made of a strong but relatively cheap metal such as open hearth steel. The upper member is also Z-shaped but is made of a material, such as rustless steel, that is non-corrodible or resistant to atmospheric conditions and the sulphur of cinders. The top flange 6 and bottom flange 1 of said-upper member are narrower than those of the lower member. The two members are welded together" along their longitudinal medial line, preferably by electric spot-welding 8, the body portions and the flanges of the two members being held flatwise together.

By the arrangement described, the marginal portions 9 of the top and bottom flanges of the lower member of the carline are left uncovered by the top member and constitute seats for the side margins of plain roof sheets Ill. These marginal seats are wide enough to leave a space between the edge of the roof sheet and the edge of the upper member of the carline and this space is filled with a weld I l that unites the two members of the carline to each other and to the roof sheet.

It is noted that, in the completed roof, the only 1'5 portion of the carline that is exposed to the weather is the portion between the two welds which secure the adj acent sheets thereto and this portion of the carline is made of rustless or noncorrodible steel, whose physical properties cause 2() it to add greatly to the strength of the carline as a whole. It is also noted that by making the carline of two pieces, and limiting the use of rustless steel to the exposed surface, a considerable economy is effected without sacrifice of strength. 25 It is also noted that by making the carline in two pieces, with the upper piece narrower .than the lower, the operation of welding is greatly facilitated and a single weld serves to join the two members of the carline together and to the 30 adjacent roof sheet. Thus it is practicable to assemble and secure the two members of the carline together at the factory, as by spot-welding along the longitudinal medial line, and to defer the marginal welds until the car roof is 35 assembled. Then the sheets are applied to the factory-built carline and welded to both members thereof by the same welds that secure the edges of the upper member tov the lower member thereof.

In theY modification illustrated in Fig. 5, the carline comprises Z-shaped upper and lower members of which the upper member 2d is made of rustless steel andis narrower than the lower member 301, and has the edges of its top and bot- 45 tom lianges welded to the top and bottom flanges, respectively, of the lower member at a distance inwardly from the edges of the anges. of the lower member. However, in the construction shown in Fig. 5 the top and bottom flanges are 50 considerably widened out and the vertical body portions of the to-p and bottom members are spaced apart so as together to constitute a hollow box construction. Carlines of this hollow ,A box type are Well suited to meet the strength 55 requirements of the roof and constitute a substantial proportion of the weather excluding area of the roof. Consequently, it is feasible to make the carlines of such width that ordinary millrun roof sheets can be used throughout the length of the car.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 6 comprises upper and'lower members of which the upper member 2b is narrower than the lower member 3b and has horizontal flanges that rest flatwise on the horizontal flanges of the lower` member, the two upper and lower members being secured together by welds at the same level along the edges of the flanges of the lower member but somewhat inwardly from the edges of the flanges of the lower member.' In this case, the lower member is of channel shape and the upper member is of inverted channel shapeY so as together to form a hexagonal hollow construction.

Y It is noted as an advantage of all of the constructions that the carlines are adapted for use with plain sheets, that is, with sheets that may be used without having to be flanged or shaped at their margins and which need not even be trimmed and sized after leaving the mill. In the designs illustrated in Figs, 3 and 5, the sheets are arranged at two levels, the sheets at one level alternating with those of the otherv level. In the design illustrated in Fig. 6, however, alternate sheets are disposed at the same level.

Reference is herby made to my copending application Serial No. 659,491 flled March 3, 1933, wherein is claimed certain matter shown but not claimed herein.

What I claim is: Y

1. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member, each of said members comprising aY body portion having flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer vedges of the flanges of the lower member and the flanges of said members being welded together along the edges of the upper flanges, the upper member being of non-corrodible steel.

2. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, vthe flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, the lower member being relatively' heavy and made of open hearth steel and the upper member being relativelyV light and made of non-corrodible steel.

i 3. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member.

4. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending there-from in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, said members being welded together along the middle portions thereof and along the edges of the flanges of said upper member.

5. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, the lower member being relatively heavy and the upper member being relatively light, said members being welded together Valong the middle portions thereof and along the edges of the flanges of said upper member.

6. A carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower Vflanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, the lower member being relatively heavy and made of open hearth steel and the upper member being relatively light and made of non-corrodible steel, said members being'welded together along the middle portions thereof and 'along the edges of the flanges of said upper member,

7. In a car roof of the kind wherein roof sheets at one level alternate with roof sheets at a different level, the combination of Z-shaped carlines so arranged that each flange of a carline extends toward the flange at'the same level on the next carline, each carline comprising a. lower member and an upper member secured together, each of said members comprising a Vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member,V and roof sheets resting on the margins of the lower carline member, said members being welded to,- gether along the edges of the flanges of said upper member.

8. In a car roof of the kind wherein roof sheets at one level alternate with roof sheets lat a different level, the combination of Z-shaped carllnes so arranged that each flange of a carline extends toward the flange at the same level on the next carline, each carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, and roof sheets resting on the margins of the lower carline member, said members being welded together and to` the roof sheets along the edges of the flanges of said upper member.

9. In a car roof of the kind wherein roof sheets at one level alternate with roof sheets at a different level, the combination of Z-shaped carlines so arranged that each flange of one carline extends toward the flange at the same level on the next carline, each carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured tof gether flatwise, each of said members comprising a vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, and roof sheets resting on the VVmargins of the lower carline member, said carline members being welded together along the lona different level, the combination of Z-shaped carlines so arranged that each flange of one carline extends toward the flange at the same level on the next carline, each carline comprising a lower member and an upper member secured together flatwise, each of said members comprising a Vertical body portion and upper and lower flanges extending therefrom in opposite directions, the flanges of the upper member terminating short of the outer edges of the flanges of the lower member, and roof sheets resting on the margins of the lower carline member, said carline members being welded together along the longitudinal middle portions thereof and to said roof sheets along the edges of the ilanges of said upper member.

11 As an article of manufacture, a carline construction comprising a relatively heavy Z- shaped member and a relatively light Z-shaped member tted atwise together and rigidly secured together along the longitudinal medial line.-

of their webs, the edges of the flanges of the light member being spaced inwardly from the edges,v of the flanges of the heavy member for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL. 

